John Madden, the NFL coach, broadcaster, and namesake of the hugely popular line of video games, has died at the age of 85.
The National Football League confirmed the sports icon’s death but did not disclose the cause.
Madden, born in Minnesota, was a high school football star that was eventually drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958 after playing at both the College of San Mateo and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
He worked as a coach in the college ranks for several years before returning to the NFL in the late 60s to fulfill multiple coaching roles for the Oakland Raiders.
In 197, he retired from coaching and transitioned into a career of broadcasting, where he made a national name for himself across 30 years working for networks like CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC.
In addition to inspiring one of the most successful video games, Madden’s career highlights also included calling 11 Super Bowls and amassing 16 Emmy awards.
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